Lyndon Johnson Administration:
CIA Summary of Refugees and Terrorism

(December 3, 1965)

This CIA summary on the Arab refugee issue notes the 1965 formation of the PLO.
This document mentions the formation of terrorist attempts to encourage
Arab aggression against Israel. Analyzes Jordanian reaction to these
events, noting that "Jordan includes part of Palestine." This
document predicts large clashes against Israel due to Arab provocation
against Israel.

255. Special Report Prepared by the Central Intelligence
Agency/1/

SC No. 00699/65A

Washington, December 3, 1965.

ISRAEL, THE ARAB STATES, AND PALESTINE
"LIBERATION" ACTIVITIES

The frustrations of more than a million Arab refugees from Israel are
leading to new efforts, both peaceful and violent, dedicated to the
"liberation" of Palestine. Formation of the Palestine Liberation
Organization is the latest of several attempts to provide a political
focus for the refugees, and it has the nominal backing of the Arab League.
At the same time, however, two independent terrorist groups seem to
be trying to trigger incidents which would bring the Arab states into
military action against Israel.

Jordanian King Husayn opposes either approach to eliminating Israeli
rule because his country is the Arab state most exposed to any Israeli
reprisal. Moreover, Jordan includes part of Palestine and is the haven
for half of the refugees, and Husayn is wary of pro-Nasir subversion
among Jordan's Palestinians. Syria, on the other hand, whose support
of the terrorism offers greater provocation to the Israelis, enjoys
the advantage of being more difficult to retaliate against.

Although Nasir, like Husayn, seems anxious to avoid any escalation
of the sporadic border incidents, these Palestine-Arab activities could,
with little advance notice, lead to the largest Arab-Israeli clashes
since Suez.

[Here follows detailed discussion of the refugee problem
the Palestine Liberation Organization, Jordan and the PLO, and Fatah.]

/1/Source: Johnson Library, National
Security File, Country File, Israel, Vol. V. Secret; No Foreign Dissem.
Prepared in the Office of Current Intelligence.